Politics

Tax-free online shopping hits the chopping block

(NEWSER) – The halcyon days of widespread tax-free online shopping may be numbered. The Senate yesterday voted 74 to 20 to take up a bill that would let states require Internet retailers to collect sales tax, the AP reports. It could be passed within the week, though it may have a tougher time among House Republicans who call it a tax hike. As it stands, states can't require online retailers to collect state and local taxes unless the business is physically based in the state. Some states call on taxpayers to pay online sales tax with their yearly returns, but few actually do it, officials say.